Feeding Frenzy

Chapter 18

Johnson sighed in frustration as he flipped through the channels on his radio. He had been receiving nothing but static since all of the Immune had left the base. He thought about giving up, but he knew that there had to be other Immune around. He just did not know where they were.

The power had been off since the morning, and now it was late at night. There were candles spread out throughout the kitchen and living room, providing a faint glow. Johnson had to squint to see the numbers on the screen.

Fiona was in the kitchen. In each house they had stayed in, she had gone to the broom closet and then cleaned the house. Keeping her hands busy kept her mind off of reality. Even now, she was disinfecting the counters that would probably never be used again.

Anjo was lounging on the couch. He had a graphic novel that he found on the bookshelf. Initially, he was using a flashlight to read but Johnson gave him a lecture about wasting the batteries. He held the book next to a candle and struggled to make out the pictures or tiny words.

"Any luck?" Fiona asked without turning around. She had watched Johnson fiddle with the radio the past couple of nights. She listened to the static and Johnson speaking into the radio. She was never religious, but she prayed he would find others.

Johnson shook his head before looking up at Fiona to see that she was not watching him. She was busy cleaning the already spotless countertop.

"No," he said.

"Do you think there are others?" Fiona asked. "Are we the only people who are not sick?"

"We're not the only ones."

"How do you know that?"

Johnson's muscles tensed. He chewed on his bottom lip as his mind raced. Fiona looked over her shoulder as she waited for a reply.

"What's the chances we're the only ones Immune in Canada?" he asked.

"I think that this is worldwide," she said.

"It is."

Fiona raised a brow. Johnson cleared his throat and shifted his weight in the chair.

"Don't you watch the news?" he asked.

"I try to avoid it," she said. "Too depressing. I don't like to start my mornings with that."

"I saw it on the news," Anjo said.

He shut his book and leaned back on the couch. He crossed his arms over his chest. He looked up at the ceiling and tapped his foot.

"The reporter talked about some cannibalistic virus," he said. "I had never heard of it before."

"Nothing like that ever walked into your hospital?" Fiona asked.

"Well, no," he said. "My population is a little unique."

"What kind of population is that?"

Anjo let out a yawn. He turned his wrist to look at his watch. He stood and grabbed the graphic novel and tucked it under his arm. He grabbed the flashlight off the coffee table.

"I'm exhausted," he said. "I am going to get some sleep."

Anjo turned on the flashlight. A beam of light shined in front of him as he made his way through the house and up the stairs to the bedrooms.

Fiona let out a deep breath. She tossed the soiled wipe into the garbage. Johnson switched through the radio stations and there was no answer and static.

"I'm going to head to bed," Fiona said. "I wish you the best of luck."

She grabbed a candle, left the kitchen and went up the stairs. Johnson muttered a curse as he was met with more static. He set the radio down on the table and ran his fingers through his hair.

There had to be other people out there. Johnson knew he had to find them. It was the only way to keep the group alive.

Johnson picked up the radio again. He closed his eyes and prayed before he switched to another channel. He squeezed the sides of the radio and held it up to his mouth.

"Hello," Johnson said. "Is anyone out there?"

Another wave of static came. Johnson shook his head and put his hand on the dial and was about to change the channel. A crackle came on the radio. It was something that he had not heard any of the previous nights.

"Hello," a male voice said.

Johnson's heart pounded. He sat up straighter and clutched the radio in his hands. His lips spread into a smile.

A voice. It was something that he was hoping to hear.

"Who is there?" the voice said.

"I am Lieutenant Johnson," he said. "I am with three other soldiers. We have eight civilians with us."

"Lieutenant, I'm Captain Ross," the voice said. "Where are you located?"

"We're in a town that has been Cleansed," he said. "It's outside of Timmins. We headed North the past few days."

"You need to get to Toronto."

Johnson raised a brow. That was opposite to where they were traveling. He had made the executive decision to get away from the city.

"Are there Infected people in Toronto?" Johnson asked. "There would have not been time to Cleanse it."

"Plenty of Infected," he said. "We're all in the hospital. We have it barricaded and we're running a generator."

"Why Toronto though?"

"We have gathered doctors and scientists here. We are going to find a cure."

Johnson furrowed his brows. A cure for this Virus? That seemed almost impossible. No one had ever mentioned a cure. If this Virus was manmade, they must know a way to reverse it? This all exploded into a situation that Johnson did not anticipate.

"A cure?" Johnson asked.

"They're working on it," Ross said. "A cure for Thyestean."

Johnson's stomach twisted into a knot. He had not heard that word since the base.

"We can send a helicopter," Ross said. "We have one on the roof. We have an airforce member here who says he knows how to fly it. Send us your location."

Johnson closed his eyes and rested the radio against his forehead. Going into the city would mean that they would be surrounded by Infected.

"Let me ask the group," Johnson said. "There are two little children with us."

"Radio me in the morning," Ross said. "We've been looking for survivors."

"Roger that."

Johnson blew out the flames of the candles. The house was overtaken by darkness. He bumped into furniture as he made his way over to the couch. He set the radio down on the coffee table and flopped down on the couch.

His mind was racing as he contemplated bringing the group to Toronto.